Hi! My name is Bridgett and I am 20 years old. I am a makeup artist, I love dogs, and I have a passion for psychology. I am currently living in California taking care of my sick grandparents. My grandfather has stage V kidney disease, and my nana has late stage dementia. I am her full time caregiver. I get her up, showered, dressed, fed, I put her to bed, take her to appointments, and she goes everywhere with me. She is my sunshine. I cook for them, clean for them, set up appointments, do all the chores. It is truly an amazing experience and I am thankful for this time with them. Last month I went to a doctor appointment because I had been experiencing ear pain, ringing, hearing loss, and crackling noises in my ears. What we thought was excess fluid in my ear drum turned out to be a form of hearing loss. I was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, meaning it is in both ears. Most likely the genetic form. My hearing is damaged and it is progressive, so there is nothing that can be done to reverse it. Hearing aids will help plateau the progression so it does not get worse as fast as it would without. My insurance does not cover hearing aids so it is going to have to be paid out of pocket. I cannot afford it because I am taking care of my grandparents, and while it is very rewarding, I do not make very much money. My parents live up in Idaho with my little brother and sister. My dad is turning 68 and works 2 jobs to support the family up there. My mom is 50 and actively searching for a job as well, since winter is coming and they will need the extra income. They are doing everything in their power to help me get the hearing aids I need, but $2500 is alot of money. My grandfather has fallen 3 times in the past month and I cannot hear him when he calls for help. If he needs something and I'm not in the room he has to call me on my phone because I cannot hear him. It is scary to wake up in the morning and find him on the floor and feel so helpless because I cannot hear him. It is also very embarrassing at my age to ask my friends to repeat themselves because I cannot hear them, or being in a restaurant and having to have someone else give my order to avoid having to ask the server to repeat themselves multiple times. This hearing loss also affects my balance. I come from a competitive dance background, and I also do yoga to relieve arthritic pain. Balance and coordination mean a lot to me, and I feel as if I have been robbed of that. Times are tough right now so I completely understand if you cannot donate at this time, but sharing my story will help just as much. Thank you so much and seriously God bless anyone who helps!!!!!